another bit of gt40 trivia,they supposedly buried a works car in a field next to the track at lemans in67 after it was barrell rolled into a field leaving it wrecked and with nothing worth salvaging,also one of the ultra rare road going cars was fitted with a record player (i suppose a lot of you wont remember them!!) oh and while i am at it as one of the drivers at lemans was a little too tall for the car so they fabricated a bubble for his helmet to slot up into into the top of the door
there is also a great story as to why the car came into existance involving a stubborn enzo ferrari
Ford Gt40
Started by
aron916
, Jan 17 2011 01:50 PM
77 replies to this topic
#21
darronwall
-
-
- 2,706 posts
Scary Internerd
- Gender:Male
- Location:out rawcliffe
- Interests:the older i get the more my genitals look like jeremy clarkson
Posted 17 January 2011 - 11:10 PM
#22
darronwall
-
-
- 2,706 posts
Scary Internerd
- Gender:Male
- Location:out rawcliffe
- Interests:the older i get the more my genitals look like jeremy clarkson
Posted 17 January 2011 - 11:14 PM
awesome,you can keep your so called supercars,thegt40 is the daddyI was taken to Donnington most years when I was a kid to the Ferrari Owners Club 'testing' day. One year somebody brought along this weird looking silver thing (I was probably 9 or 10) which just sat in the pits all morning. I went to have a look at it at lunch time and just as I was walking away, this guy approached the car, opened the door (when your 9 it's well cool when the door opens and half the roof comes with it!) and jumps in. I remember him saying to me 'you might want to stand back a bit son', which I of course I ignored. Tick, tick, whir, gurgle and then BAM!!! I can still remember the strange mix of feeling terrified and intoxicated at the same time and that strange kind of crackling distortion in my ears as he blipped the throttle a few times. 7ltr Mk III. Happy days.
#23
Jezter
-
-
- 425 posts
Super Member
- Gender:Male
- Location:Sandbach, Cheshire
Posted 17 January 2011 - 11:59 PM
I remember seeing a photo of the GT40 with the single bubble roof (Abarth style) in Classic and Sportscar years ago. GT40 for 40 inches high if I remember right, so (as Clarkson found out) if your anywhere near 6ft or more you'd need to take the top of your head off to get the door shut! As you say, the GT40 was commissioned because Enzo pulled out of the sale to Ford at the last minute and the GT40 was developed to teach them a lesson at Le Mans. I obviously didn't realise it at the time, but he was a brave bloke taking a GT40 to a Ferrari track event in '79 and spanking everything else on the track all afternoon (including Nick Mason in his P4)!
#24
darronwall
-
-
- 2,706 posts
Scary Internerd
- Gender:Male
- Location:out rawcliffe
- Interests:the older i get the more my genitals look like jeremy clarkson
Posted 18 January 2011 - 12:11 AM
the bubble was for Dan Gurney,the same chap who had the idea of adjustable aerodynamic aids hence the bits that are moveable are refered to,even today,as gurneysI remember seeing a photo of the GT40 with the single bubble roof (Abarth style) in Classic and Sportscar years ago. GT40 for 40 inches high if I remember right, so (as Clarkson found out) if your anywhere near 6ft or more you'd need to take the top of your head off to get the door shut! As you say, the GT40 was commissioned because Enzo pulled out of the sale to Ford at the last minute and the GT40 was developed to teach them a lesson at Le Mans. I obviously didn't realise it at the time, but he was a brave bloke taking a GT40 to a Ferrari track event in '79 and spanking everything else on the track all afternoon (including Nick Mason in his P4)!
surely the gt40 is one of the greatest looking racecars of all time
#25
Jezter
-
-
- 425 posts
Super Member
- Gender:Male
- Location:Sandbach, Cheshire
Posted 18 January 2011 - 12:56 AM
It had a brutality to the styling that nothing else could match, then or possibly since. The 250LM was a pretty car, but it had that Italian femininity to the styling. The GT40 just told you it was going to rip your head off and crap down the hole just from the way it looked. Just little details like the riveted headlight covers let's you know that the car is all about trying to bend the laws of physics. In some ways it needed to look that good/purposeful to carry off the sheer violence of what was going on underneath the bodywork. I still can't even begin to imagine what kind of human being can jump into one and spend a 6 hour stint, in the dark with Lucas (Prince of Darkness!!) headlights, on the wrong side of 200mph, knowing that the slightest lapse in concentration will result in another GT40 and likely driver being buried in a field! Mr Gurney and his peers were, without doubt, utter heroes.
#27
slindborg
-
-
- 22,602 posts
The Bishop of Stortford
- Gender:Not Telling
- Location:.
Posted 19 January 2011 - 11:23 PM
I just about squeezed into the 1966 lemans winning GT40 and was everso lucky to be driven about in it too, as a thanks for some work I did with the folks who look after it and a MKIII gt40.
proper pron cars!! they just smell fast when sitting there 
#28
Ouchie
-
-
- 4,805 posts
Monkey no mates
- Gender:Male
- Location:Gloucestershire
Posted 20 January 2011 - 10:46 AM
Is it me or do they look better dirty.
#29
moospeed
-
-
- 1,398 posts
Billy No Mates
- Gender:Male
- Location:Wigmore, Kent
Posted 24 January 2011 - 11:32 AM
Are we still talking about GT40's?Is it me or do they look better dirty.
#30
ChrisS1
-
-
- 8,360 posts
Club OEM
- Gender:Male
- Location:South Walers
Posted 24 January 2011 - 11:34 AM
Are we still talking about GT40's?
Is it me or do they look better dirty.
Now would be the time to add a NS@W if over on SELOC...
#31
Ouchie
-
-
- 4,805 posts
Monkey no mates
- Gender:Male
- Location:Gloucestershire
Posted 24 January 2011 - 12:22 PM
What's a GT40?
Are we still talking about GT40's?
Is it me or do they look better dirty.
#32
Tony
-
-
- 1,125 posts
Need to get Out More
- Gender:Male
- Location:Hinckley (Leics)
- Interests:Cars, Railways, Photography, DIY
Posted 24 January 2011 - 09:43 PM
We had a freeby day out from work a number of years ago, at Castle Coombe. A company was trying to sell us some robot tape libraries. We were having passenger rides on various cars, and one was an original GT40. Unfortunatly, with a helmet I was too tall, and couldn't fit in. So had to settle for a corvette and a 911.
#33
JL37
-
-
- 154 posts
Member
- Gender:Male
- Location:Redditch
Posted 26 January 2011 - 10:25 PM
with my replica, i've had to cut out the underside of the dashboard to get my knees under, make my own pedalbox and position it as far back against the bulkhead as possible, and fit very slim seats. Im 6ft 2 and just about manage it, but it's a squeeze!
#34
jameso
-
-
- 2,336 posts
Scary Internerd
- Gender:Male
- Location:West Midlands
Posted 27 January 2011 - 03:25 PM
Have seen JL37s replica and it's very nice!! Love traditional engines
Edited by jameso, 27 January 2011 - 03:26 PM.
#35
Sutol
-
-
- 8,120 posts
Well it's nearly a Lotus
- Gender:Male
- Location:Billingshurst, West Sussex
Posted 20 March 2011 - 10:51 AM
I went to Goodwood yesterday and thought you might be interested a couple of photos I took. I was surprised that the GT40 is quite a bit lower than a lowered VX.
#36
Mangham54
-
-
- 12,034 posts
Wannabe....
- Gender:Male
- Location:Baaaaarrrrnnnnssssllleeeeyyyy
Posted 20 March 2011 - 11:09 AM
Should be about 4" difference against a standard VXR if memory serves me correctly.
#37
SteveA
-
-
- 9,151 posts
.
- Gender:Male
- Location:North East UK
Posted 20 March 2011 - 04:23 PM
[attachment=22862:IMG_3084.JPG]
#38
JL37
-
-
- 154 posts
Member
- Gender:Male
- Location:Redditch
Posted 21 March 2011 - 09:00 PM
This is how low they really are!
[attachment=22869:gt40 #35.jpg]
#39
Mangham54
-
-
- 12,034 posts
Wannabe....
- Gender:Male
- Location:Baaaaarrrrnnnnssssllleeeeyyyy
Posted 21 March 2011 - 09:24 PM
This is how low they really are!
[attachment=22869:gt40 #35.jpg]
Stunning... Simply stunning - but how tall is the chap standing next to it; and is that person you? (Lucky bastard).
According to something I was looking at the GT40 was 40.5" (1028mm) tall and the VX is stated as 44.1" (1120mm) so a difference of less than 4" or less than 10cm.
#40
JL37
-
-
- 154 posts
Member
- Gender:Male
- Location:Redditch
Posted 22 March 2011 - 10:04 AM
yes it's mine. Im 6ft 1 so it is a challenge to get in it! I have slim seats and a custom made pedal box to get as much room as i can and with slim racing shoes it's just about ok for me. To be honest it's a magic feeling to be in the car , the noise of the Ford V8 is so good you soon forget silly things like leg cramp!
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
